Clerics to Muslims: Don’t be rash, think before you vote
Zeeshan Javed | TNN | Updated: Apr 21, 2019, 06:12 IST
Representative imageKOLKATA: Prominent Muslim clerics in the state have issued a cautiously crafted message exhorting the community to vote carefully, a move that political analysts feel is an attempt to prevent a division in Muslim votes and to blunt the strategy of certain political outfits attempting to marginalise the community, constitutionally and politically.
The appeal neither identifies any candidate the community should put its weight behind, nor cautions them against any political party. But it urges Muslims to think carefully before casting the vote because any mistake will mean a wait of five years before it can be rectified.
The message has been signed by All India Milli Council president Qari Fazlur Rahman, who leads the Eid prayers on Red Road, and vice-president Qari Mohammad Shafique, also the imam of the prestigious Nakhoda Mosque.
On Saturday, TOI reported Easter messages from the Christian clergy similarly urging their community to vote out hatred and choose peace.
“In a democracy there is no substitute to elections. It gives us an opportunity to elect a government every five years. But if we make a mistake there will be a wait of five years before we can rectify it. So be careful and think before you decide who you are voting for in 2019. Make your friends, relatives and acquaintances aware too and make sure every member of the household steps out to vote,” the appeal reads. The message acquires significance as Muslims comprise a little less than a third of Bengal’s voters and if the community’s votes consolidate in favour of a candidate or party, the chances of that candidate getting elected increases manifold.
“It is our duty to serve both our religion and our nation. So besides possessing religious knowledge we also need political maturity to elect the right candidate and the party which will work for the progress and safety of every citizen of this country,” said Qasmi.
Muslim voting preferences in Bengal indicate that issues of livelihood, safety, education and secularism matter more than religious passions, which means they have over the years voted for Congress, then the Left Front and now Trinamool Congress instead of several “Muslim” parties that field candidates in every election.
“Though they have not named any party or candidate the message is loud and clear. The vote should go to anybody who is capable of defeating the BJP,” said Hasnain Imam, a political commentator.
Muslims in Bengal can be broadly divided into two categories: Bengali-speaking in the hinterland, who tilted towards the Left Front, and the Urdu-speaking in urban areas who supported the Congress. Trinamool has wooed voters from both categories.
“We should display political maturity and vote for what is the best interest of this country,” said Rahman.
The appeal neither identifies any candidate the community should put its weight behind, nor cautions them against any political party. But it urges Muslims to think carefully before casting the vote because any mistake will mean a wait of five years before it can be rectified.
The message has been signed by All India Milli Council president Qari Fazlur Rahman, who leads the Eid prayers on Red Road, and vice-president Qari Mohammad Shafique, also the imam of the prestigious Nakhoda Mosque.
On Saturday, TOI reported Easter messages from the Christian clergy similarly urging their community to vote out hatred and choose peace.
“In a democracy there is no substitute to elections. It gives us an opportunity to elect a government every five years. But if we make a mistake there will be a wait of five years before we can rectify it. So be careful and think before you decide who you are voting for in 2019. Make your friends, relatives and acquaintances aware too and make sure every member of the household steps out to vote,” the appeal reads. The message acquires significance as Muslims comprise a little less than a third of Bengal’s voters and if the community’s votes consolidate in favour of a candidate or party, the chances of that candidate getting elected increases manifold.
“It is our duty to serve both our religion and our nation. So besides possessing religious knowledge we also need political maturity to elect the right candidate and the party which will work for the progress and safety of every citizen of this country,” said Qasmi.
Muslim voting preferences in Bengal indicate that issues of livelihood, safety, education and secularism matter more than religious passions, which means they have over the years voted for Congress, then the Left Front and now Trinamool Congress instead of several “Muslim” parties that field candidates in every election.
“Though they have not named any party or candidate the message is loud and clear. The vote should go to anybody who is capable of defeating the BJP,” said Hasnain Imam, a political commentator.
Muslims in Bengal can be broadly divided into two categories: Bengali-speaking in the hinterland, who tilted towards the Left Front, and the Urdu-speaking in urban areas who supported the Congress. Trinamool has wooed voters from both categories.
“We should display political maturity and vote for what is the best interest of this country,” said Rahman.
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